The Dominion SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1918. PEACE TERMS
It is well to bear in mind at the present time the merciless peace terms Germany would have imposed if she had been the victor in this, war. These are fully'set'forth,in a trustworthy volume,. •'.Germany's Annexationht Aims, by S. Grujiback, translated by the well-known publicist, Mit. I. Ellis Barker,published some months ago by Murray, of London. The Times described this book as "most valuable for reference" and as of "the greatest . value for' a judgment of the present;" Gruhbach, in hundreds of extracts, reproduces the demands for indemnity and annexation made by leading Gorman rulers, statesmen, politicians', business men, scientists, publicists, and leading papers. Mi:. Barker says that "practically all Germany clamoured for the utmost mthlcssness in warfare, and for almost unlimited annexations and monetary exactions." The war was one engineered by the Potsdam gang, and when it seemed to mean victory for Germany nearly all Germany favoured, plundering a beaten foe to the utmost. Mil. Barker reproduces, for the first time in English, the petition in 1915 of six great economic societies, whose membership was 2n0,G00, to the German Chancellor demanding | the exaction of the most harsh peace ..terms. This petition clamoured for a •"■sufficient war indemnity" and for the vassalage of Belgium in government_and in industry; for the annexation of Northern France with its Channel ports and its coal and iron mines in the Valley of the Briey, and also of Longwy and Ver.duii and the mineral wealth in those regions. This petition of employer and employee, of capitalist and of labourer, also demanded the annexation of Russian territory, and stipulated "that in all the annexed regions the properties should pass "into German hands," and that France or Kussia should "indemnify the original owners." The dif-ficulty-of having a population unfriendly to Germany in a conquered region was thus solved in this petition by the confiscation of property and driving the people from their homes. The of Germany to the number of over KJOO petitioned the Reichstag to exact the uttermost farthing in money and territory, from the beaten foe. Professors and clerics, ■ judges and lawyers, statesmen and educationists made clear and plain their demands, and these demands are even more cruel and brutal tha-n those of the economic associations. ■ They demaiv.l the acquisition of Belgium, the annexation of Russian territory, the control of "the Balkan Peninsula, Turkey, and Asia, Minor as far as the Persian Gulf," the breaking up of Britain's naval bases throughout the world, the' severing of her nerve in Egypt, and the German occupation of the Suez Canal. They demanded not only that the French territory described by the economists should be seized, but they said: "We must enfeeble that land politically and economically without scruple or compunction"; "we must seize the French colonies," and exact a - "liigh~\indemnity," and "show no mercy." Those "Intellectuals" laid great stress on the exaction of a high war indemnity. From this indemnity any damage done to German- territory would be made good, and a, fund formed "from which pensions will be 'paid to war invalids, war widows and orphans, which'permits us to make good the losses suffered by private German citizens and allows us to replace and to improve the national armaments." France and England, they said, would furnish such an indemnity. "We should not hesitate to put upon France the heaviest financial burden." "Before all we must hit England as hard as possible by striking at its money bags if wo have the power." Such were the peace terms of the German "Intellectuals," and in their exaction they remind the Reichstag that "philanthropic scntinientalism would be wholly out of place." The foregoing is only a partial description of what GiuuiBAcn reports as the announced aims and ambitions of responsible Germans in this war. They show clearly enough the kind of peace terms that William Hoiiis.nzollki!:; and his satellites would, with "shining sword and mailed fist," have forced upon a beaten foe; at the mr/uexl i>j the German people's reprcucnlulwrn. The wisest of- teachers has said, "With what judgment ye judge, ye shall bo judged; and with what measure yc mete it shall' be measured to you again." The German people in whining at the terms of the armistice, and in addressing rid miscrirnrrlinm appeals to President Wilson, have forgotten their own peace "judgment" and their own peace "measure." Germany dc-
serves to have forced upon he , , , the brutal, unjust peace terms she. would have forced upon others, and shi! may well be thankful that her conquerors are inspired by liight and Justice, and she will not be treated as she has treated and would still treat others. The Kaiser and his gang may have passed away, but the above infamous peiitiohs, endorsed by rich and poor, learned and unlearned, still stand, and the mood of penitence, as Phksident Wilscx says, is needed by Germany. Peace terms, as Sir James Allen .says, with punishment for the guilty without viiidictivcnoss and without weakness, is needed by Germany for her own sake as well as for the sake of our civilisation. The great philosopher of Athens long-ago wisely..'.aid: "The wrongdoer who is punished and suffers retribution suffers that which is good—namely, justice—and that is the best thing which could happen to him, since not to have it perpetuates the evil."
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 68, 14 December 1918, Page 6
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887The Dominion SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1918. PEACE TERMS Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 68, 14 December 1918, Page 6
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